Yesterday I made chocolate pudding for another cake (no, I won't tell you – that's another story…). It was very good pudding, made with vanilla soy milk, melted dark chocolate, cocoa, sugar, corn starch, and last not least some excellent margarine. So you see, really from scratch. Not instant-just-mix-with -water stuff. There was quite a bit left over and I refrigerated it, wondering what to do with it. Because there was no way I was going to eat it, not being particularly fond of pudding, even the very tastiest kind.

Today I was expecting a bunch of teenagers, and I knew they would be hungry. And most of them vegan too…

So I made up a new cake on the spot.

I started with the pudding. It was quite stiff now, so I added a little hot water and gave it a good stir. Then I stirred in enough whole wheat flour to make a soft cake dough. With the flour I added 9 t baking powder and used a spoon to stir it all together. The rule of thumb for cake without eggs is to use twice the amount of baking powder you think you need – that way it rises nicely!

I poured the dough into a paper-lined 9" by 12" tin and smoothed it out.

Then I washed and cored 12 apples. They were organic, so I didn't peel them, but you could if you prefer. I pressed them into the dough and put 1/2 t of red jam (I had cranberry) in each.

Next I added 1/2 t rolled oats in each apple.

Now for one of my favorite spices: cinnamon in each apple!

And last not least: drizzle in some honey!

Bake at 350°F (200°C) for about an hour, till the cake part is all done and the apples nicely baked. Let cool slightly.

Serve warm. I think this is best eaten the day it is made, but I'm not sure – there were no leftovers you see!

I am an independent consultant and trainer for children and adults with learning disabilities. The range includes dyslexia, dyscalculia and working with ADD/ADHD without medication. I also work with individuals with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This